Nice view. Broken tap.

At first glance, houses in Italy look like a dream.

Stone walls, olive trees, lake views – and sometimes all for a surprisingly low price.

But what looks like a bargain online can quickly turn into a complicated project.

Buying a house here isn’t just about taste.

It’s about structure, paperwork, history – and knowing what you’re getting into.

Let’s talk about the usual suspects.

Many properties come with unapproved extensions – so called "abusivi".

If you buy them, you take on the risk. In some cases, the only solution is demolition.

In others, a "sanatoria" process can legalise the structure – but that means forms, inspections, and unexpected costs. And sometimes, the answer is simply: no!

Then there’s the mismatch between what’s built and what’s registered.

Plans don’t match. Rooms don’t exist on paper. And until that’s fixed, no notary will sign.

Add to that the systems:

Ancient plumbing. Patchy wiring. Heating that hasn’t worked since the 90s.

And let’s not forget the grey zones –like access roads across private land, or shared wells without proper agreements.

Plus the charming extras:

Rising damp. Improvised septic tanks. Pipes that run through the neighbour’s olive grove.

The reality:

If you go in blind, you’re not buying a house – you’re buying someone else’s shortcuts.

A beautiful view means nothing if the foundations are unstable, the roof leaks, or the legal situation is a maze.

But here’s the thing:

It can still be worth it.

If you know what you’re walking into.

If you're not afraid of bureaucracy, dust, and hard decisions.

If you can tell the difference between “charming” and “money pit”.

Then yes – that crumbling farmhouse might just turn into something extraordinary.